Conversations
by Lillie Kapidaness
Summary: When he overhears Lavender and Parvati talking in the library, Ron discovers more than he wants to...and maybe learns something in the process.


A/N I own nothing.  
  
"Do either of you have 'Modern Transfiguration'," Harry Potter asked, looking up the scroll he was writing. Harry, along with his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, were sitting at a small table in the corner of the library at Hogwarts working on their Transfiguration essays.  
  
"Not in this pile," Ron answered. "I'll go look for it, I need a break."  
  
"Honestly, Ron. We've only been working 10 minutes." Hermione remarked with an astounded look on her face. "You've got three lines written. How can you need a break already?"  
  
But Ron didn't wait to reply. It wasn't as if he wasn't going to do his homework. He just didn't like starting it two weeks before it was due. So he headed off into the library's stacks, searching through the aisles of magical books for the one Harry needed.   
  
Halfway through the R's that Ron heard a group of girls talking on the other side of the stacks. Leaning closer, he recognized the voices of his two fellow Gryffindors, Pavarti Patil and Lavender Brown, and therefore dismissed them. "All they do is moon over Trelawny. What a waste," Ron thought as he continued to search for the book.   
  
"What about Harry? Is he seeing anyone?" he heard a female voice ask. Quietly pressed his ear against the stacks and listened.  
  
"Oh, of course we have to talk about Harry," Lavender said.  
  
"Didn't you go to the Yule Ball with him, Parvarti?" Ron didn't know the girl who said it but he recognized the voice as a 6th year Ravenclaw.   
  
"Yeah, and he was a real dud," Parvati answered. "He didn't pay any attention to me at all and when the dancing started I had to lead him!"  
  
Ron silently chuckled. "Bet he would've paid attention if you were Cho", he thought.  
  
"But still, you've got to admit he is cute with that messy black hair and those green eyes," Parvati's sister Padma replied.  
  
"That is true," Lavender replied, "but that boy has too many problems."   
  
"Hehe, why don't you ask Lavender what Seamus is like," Parvati smugly stated.  
  
"I don't kiss and tell." Lavender huffed.   
  
"Yes you do!" Parvati remarked  
  
"Okay, I do," a giggling Lavender admitted to the group of girls. "Oh, he is just so fine. And he writes me love letters."  
  
As the four girls squealed, Ron rolled his eyes and shook his head in disgust. Wasn't it enough that he heard Seamus go on about his love life. He didn't need to hear Lavender gush, too.  
  
"Then what about Dean Thomas," Padma asked.  
  
"He's really sweet, but word has it that he's Ginny Weasley's latest conquest," answered Lavender.   
  
"Who does that girl think she's kidding?" Parvati asked. "She's just using Dean to make Harry jealous. Poor Harry is so obtuse."  
  
"But Ginny's having fun in the mean time," Lavender replied.  
  
"Speaking of Weasleys, what about Ron?" the Ravenclaw girl asked.   
  
Ron perked up immediately at the mention of his name.   
  
"Don't speak to me about Ronald Weasley," Padma responded vehemently.  
  
Ron rolled his eyes and continued to listen.  
  
"Padma had as bad of a time at the Yule Ball with Ron as I did with Harry," Parvati explained to the other Ravenclaw.  
  
As if Parvati conjured him by just mentioning his name, Harry started walking down the aisle toward Ron. "What...," but that's all Harry got out as Ron shushed him and pointed toward the stacks. Harry leaned forward and listened with his friend.  
  
"All he did the whole night was scowl at Hermione Granger and Victor Krum. It was like I didn't even exist." Padma replied. "If it wasn't for ditching him for those Beauxbaton boys, my night would have been ruined."  
  
"But you've got to admit he's hot, especially since he started playing Quidditch." Padma's housemate stated.  
  
Ron could feel himself blushing on the other side of the stacks as Harry silently made gagging motions. Him hot? Hmmm...he's have to digest this a little more.  
  
"Before you start on Ronald Weasley, you should know he's taken." Lavender informed the girl.  
  
Ron's mouth dropped open in shock. Harry, with a huge grin on his face turned around and walked back toward their table. Knowing what was coming, Harry didn't feel getting pounded afterward by Ron from laughing.  
  
"I didn't know he's dating anyone," the Ravenclaw replied.  
  
"We didn't say he was dating anyone, just that he's already taken. Has been for years," Parvati continued as if this was common knowledge.  
  
At that moment, nothing could have removed Ron from those stacks, except Voldemort himself. Even that was doubtful. What are they going on about?  
  
"Let's just say that all the Gryffindor girls know that Ron is off limits or else face the wrath of Hermione Granger," Parvati explained to the Ravenclaws.   
  
Ron's eyes were as big as saucers at that moment.  
  
"Remember what she did to Marietta Edgecomb last year," Lavender reminded her friends. "As prim and proper as Hermione is, she can be vicious sometimes."  
  
"But that was totally different," the unknown Ravenclaw replied.  
  
"Yeah, can you imagine how she'd react if someone tried to take her man." Parvati stated.  
  
Ron shook his head. Just because he was friends with a girl didn't mean he was interested in her.  
  
"Even if Hermione Granger likes him, it doesn't mean anything," the Ravenclaw remarked. "They're not dating, evidently you're just reading too much into it.  
  
"Believe them, they're not." Padma remarked. "I went to the Yule Ball with Ron Weasley. I was the one who watched him glare at her and complain half the night! He was so jealous of Krum."  
  
"No way, as if I'd be jealous of that grouchy git" Ron mouthed through the stacks.  
  
"And she goes to his house every summer." Lavender added.  
  
"Oooooh......I am so jealous. Can you imagine being in a house with all those Weasley males. Oh my lord, when all six brothers are together, the testosterone in that place must be mind-boggling," Parvati said.  
  
"Her parents must be super liberal. I know if Parvati and I asked to go to a house with six guys, seven if you include Harry, our parents would hit the roof!" Padma remarked. Parvati made noises of agreement.  
  
"She is one lucky girl." Lavender commented. Four sighs could be heard from the stacks. "So why aren't they going out?" Padma asked. "You guys are in Gryffindor with them. What's the deal?"  
  
"Let's just say that everyone in Gryffindor, with the exception of Ron and Hermione know that they like each other." Parvati answered her sister.  
  
"I think Hermione already knows." Padma remarked. "Every time I talk to Ron around Hermione, she gets waspish."   
  
"Hehe. We have a bet going on when they're going to finally explode." Lavender added. "Actually, Fred and George Weasley started it when we were in third year, but Ginny's keeping it going in their honor."   
  
"Well, I hope it happens soon! I have the week before Christmas break. I could use the money." Parvati said.  
  
"Oh, look at the time." Padma exclaimed. "I've never going to get this essay finished.   
  
With that the conversation soon changed to the properties of stinksap, while a speechless Ron took in all he heard. Thoughts were bouncing around in his head, "Does Hermione really like me?" "Girls think I'm hot?" "My own family has a bet about my lovelife!"  
  
Finally coming to back to consciousness, Ron glanced up and found the book he was sent for. Oh, why couldn't he have found it immediately. He didn't think he could look at Parvati or Lavender again after that.   
  
Eventually Ron got up the nerve to return to the table he shared with his two best friends. As he approached the table he heard Hermione, "Ron, where have you been?" He looked up suddenly and hoped to god he wasn't blushing.  
  
"Uhhmmm...It took longer than I thought it would to find it." Ron answered.  
  
"I bet you learned all kinds of interesting things looking for it, didn't you," Harry grinned as Ron stood there glaring at him.  
  
"Well, get back to work," Hermione ordered everyone. "We don't have a lot of time to finish this."  
  
As they worked for the next half hour, Harry noticed Ron stealing glances at Hermione. Harry chucked to himself. He didn't need to hear what Parvati and Lavender were saying to know what they were talking about. Evidently, Hermione noticed Ron staring at her too because not long afterward she asked, "Ron, are you okay?"   
  
"Yeah, why?" Ron answered.  
  
"Oh, just concentrate on your essay and stop staring into space. You're acting odd." Hermione demanded.  
  
Ron bent his head and started scratching his quill on the parchment in front of him. Harry glanced sideways at his best friend and noticed a the small smile creeping on Ron's face.  
  
"Damn," Harry thought. It didn't look like he was going to win any poll this year. Valentine's Day was a long way off. 


End file.
